How to play Narabi?

Preparation

Shuffle the condition cards and the rock cards separately. Randomly place a condition and a stone card in each case so that a stone is visible on one side and a text with the condition on the other side. This way, the combinations of condition and stone cards are different every game.

Important! Do not read the text on the condition cards when you put the cards in the sleeves.

Depending on the number of players, remove a number of cards:

• 3 or 4 players: remove 1 white stone without a number, 1 black stone without a number and the stone with the number 9 from the game.
• 5 players: use all cards.

Shuffle the cards and give each player (stone side up) a number of cards: with 3 players, each gets 4 cards; with 4 or 5 players, each gets 3 cards. Place your cards next to each other on the table in front of you, so that the stone side is visible to all players. You may look at the conditions on the back of your cards, but you may not show them to the other players.

Important! You may not change the order of your cards on the table.

The oldest player takes the score card and places the score cube on the “0” field. This player moves the score cube forward 1 space each turn.

Goal of the game

Narabi is a cooperative game, in which you have to work together to place the tiles in numerical order (clockwise or counterclockwise) in as few turns as possible.

Important! Stones without a number have no influence on the order and may be placed in any position in the order.

Game play

The player with the “0” marker is the starting player. Then the players take turns clockwise. On your turn you must exchange 2 stones: you must always exchange one of your own stones with one of another player. You may never exchange two of your own stones. Then the score cube is moved forward 1 space and it is the next player’s turn.

If a player cannot exchange stones on his turn, the game immediately ends and all players lose. Remove the condition and stone cards from their cases, shuffle them and get ready for a new game!

Important rules

• You can always view the terms of your own cards, but you may not show them to other players or say out loud what they are.
• You can ask questions, such as “Can I exchange this stone with this stone?” You may answer these types of questions with “yes” or “no”.
• You may discuss your tactics with the other players (also for subsequent turns), as long as you do not mention the conditions of the cards. The final decision to exchange stones is always made by the player whose turn it is.
• Stones without a number count for the same conditions as stones with the number “0” (not for the order of stones!).

Advanced rules (optional)

Talking is not allowed.

Once you have received a stone, you may not immediately switch it back to its previous position.

End of the game

When all tiles are in numerical order, the game is over. The scorecard shows how well you did: the fewer turns you needed, the better!

If you have not managed to place all the stones in order within 24 turns (the score marker is on the last space and must be moved), you lose the game.